Hydraulic control devices

ABSTRACT

A remote hydraulic control device with compact control box comprising a pair of cylinder and piston jacks mounted in the box, which is filled with oil. Each cylinder has two pipes, one at each end, the pipes leading to a remote double-acting receiver. There is a hand lever on the box, with a neutral position. Movement of the lever in one direction from the neutral position operates one piston and in the other direction operates the other position. Each piston has a valve so that each cylinder is constantly full of oil.

United States Patent Inventors Jean Paulet Saint-Etienne; Jean Mori, Firminy, both of, France App]. No. 704,600 Filed Feb. 12, 1968 Patented June 8, 1971 Assignee Etablissements Bennes Marrel Saint-Etienne (Loire), France Priority Oct. 9, 1967 France 49,196

HYDRAULIC CONTROL DEVICES 4 Claims, 17 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 60/545, 251/57, 91/460 Int. Cl FlSb 7/08 Field of Search 251/57; 91/460; 60/545 E.54.5 P, 54.6 E, 54.6 P; 74/471 XY [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,352,344 6/1944 Rockwell 91/460X 3,182,456 5/1965 Burnett 9 l/460X 3,340,897 9/1967 Nevulis 25 H5 7X Primary ExaminerAmold Rosenthal Attorney-Alexander and Dowell ABSTRACT: A remote hydraulic control device with compact control box comprising a pair of cylinder and piston jacks mounted in the box, which is filled with oil. Each cylinder has two pipes, one at each end, the pipes leading to a remote double-acting receiver. There is a hand lever on the box, with a neutral position. Movement of the lever in one direction from the neutral position operates one piston and in the other direction operates the other position. Each piston has a valve so that each cylinder is constantly full of oil.

PATENTED JUN 8 19?:

SHEET 3 BF 4 HYDRAULIC CONTROL DEVICES The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to double-acting remote-control devices which are used in various hydraulic circuits, particularly in machine tools, automotive vehicles or public works appliances.

Such a remote-control hydraulic device is known. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device with improvements concerning the method of constructing the various members and in particular, to enable them to be mounted very compactly. It is known that on certain public works appliances it is necessary to provide a considerably number of remote controls (for example 6, 8 or even more), the operating levers of which have to be located in an outer cabin and actuated by only one person.

The object of the present invention is to achieve this result by constructing the control in the form of a compact control apparatus capable of actuating a remote receiver and a distributor located at any point away from the control where there is sufficient space available. The invention makes it possible to assemble several controls in only one housing, a feature which further saves space in the cabin and makes it possible to operate several controls from a single lever. The operation of the appliance is therefore facilitated since the systems of conventional design, in which a lever is necessary for effecting every basic operation, the operator could control simultaneously only two operations at the most, with a lever in each hand.

A remote-control hydraulic device according to the present invention is mainly characterized in the feature that the two control or emitter valves or jacks are mounted side by side within a common casing filled with oil, the push members thereof being located opposite a common cam keyed on a rotating shaft connected to a control lever disposed externally of the housing and manually operated, only two hydraulic tubes being provided, one on each emitterjaek, to connect the aforementioned housing with a receiving unit mounted at a distance and assembling the actual hydraulic receiver and a distributor slide valve, which causes the desired switching of the hydraulic power circuits. According to one embodiment several pairs of emitterjacks are assembled in a common control casing, each emitter being controlled by the swinging ofa cam. These cams, located side by side, are triggered externally by a single control lever provided with a selector system making it possible to connect it to either of the cams or several of them. For the operator the control movement is then similar to that of a gear box lever with an operating grid in the shape of a double-H, for example.

In any case, it will be seen that the invention makes it possible to use a single casing simultaneously functioning as an oil tank and containing therein one or more pairs of emitter jacks, so that the number of very long hydraulic pipes to the receiver is reduced to the strict minimum. In principle the number of pipes is identical with that of the emitter jacks.

The invention also proposes two other embodiments in accordance with which the housing constituting an oil tank is sealed or alternatively communicates with the surrounding atmosphere. Either form may be adopted according to whether the appliance or machine to be fitted makes it necessary to place the control casing under load, or 'at a level higher than that of the receiver members.

The accompanying drawings, given by way of example, illustrate the invention:

FIG. 1 is an overall view showing a remote control according to the invention in which the control casing constitutes an oil tank located at a level higher than that of the receiver.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through the emitter casing in which the jacks are inoperative.

FIG. 3 is a similar view with the lever manually operated to press the piston of one ofthe emitter jacks.

FIG. 4 is a partial axial section through an inoperative emitter jack.

FIG. 5 is an overall view with a partial section of the distributor fitted with a spring-loaded centering system on one of its ends and a double-acting hydraulic lever on the opposite end.

FIG. 6 is an overall view of a remote control according to the invention in which the sealed control casing is mounted so as to be under pressure.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section through the sealed casing.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section through another embodiment of a single-acting hydraulic receiver to be mounted on each of the two ends of the distributor slide valve as a replacement of the centering system, and a double-acting receiver shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 shows another means for mounting the same standard distributor, the control of which is effected directly by hand.

FIG. I0 is a side view of another embodiment of a control casing with two pairs of emitter jacks.

FIG. II is a section taken on the lines XI-XI (FIG. I0), showing the lever in its center position i.e. ready to actuate the two cams simultaneously.

FIG. 12 is a similar section showing the lever displaced to actuate only one cam.

FIG. 13 is a similar section showing the lever displaced in the opposite direction for actuating only the other cam.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the double-H control grid provided for the operation of the lever.

FIG. 15 is a diagram and plan showing the two jacks which can be actuated when the lever is engaged in the branch of the double-H corresponding to FIG. 12.

FIG. 16 is a similar diagram showing how the lever can actuate two jaeks simultaneously, one in each pair of emitters, when it is engaged in the center branches of the double-H as shown in FIG. 11.

FIG. 17 is a similar diagram corresponding to FIG. 13.

FIG. I shows a remote-control device according to the invention comprising a control casing K and a receiver casing L. These two units are connected by two pipes 37 and 39. These pipes 37 and 39 may be several yards long which makes it possible to locate the compact casing K in a control cabin and to mount externally, at any desired position, the receiver casing L, the dimensions of which may be considerable.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control casing K represents an oil tank located at a level higher than that of the receiver casing 11, as shown by the dimension 101. However, the casing L contains a standard-type distributor D, the ends of which are fitted with control members. These members are formed by a double-acting receiver jack C and by a centering system E loaded by a return spring. The invention makes it possible to use a standard distributor D which can be fitted with members C and E, as shown in FIG. 1, or two receiving jacks C, and C as shown in FIG. 6, which provides several assemblies comprising standard members to suit various applications.

The tank casing K is situated above the level of the receiver casing L and is therefore provided with an air intake 102 which communicates with the atmosphere above the oil level 100. Disposed in the oil are two horizontal emitter jacks A and B. The jack A is connected to the pipe 37, whilst the jack B is mounted on the pipe 39. These two emitter jacks are constructed in a similar manner. Each of them comprise a free piston 9 provided with an axial perforation 46 (FIG. 4), sliding oiltight within the corresponding cylinder 6. The sliding seal is ensured by an O-ring [0. A spring 13 pushes the free piston 9 against an abutment collar 103 formed on the cylinder 6 and held in position by a circlip 14. At its free end the perforation 46 in the piston 9 comprises an O-ring 104 forming a seat to which the adjacent end of the plunger piston 4 may be applied. The latter is enclosed by a helical return spring I05 which rests on a shoulder 106 (FIG. 2) ensuring the connection of the plunger piston 4 with a pushbutton 107 of larger diameter. The pushbuttons 107 of the emitter jacks A and B slide in guide recesses 108 of the casing K. At their ends the pushbuttons 107 are each provided with a ball 109 disposed opposite one of the arms 110 or 111 ofa cam 112. The latter is located in oil and is keyed on a transverse shaft 113 which passes tightly through the wall of the casing K. The outer end of this shaft 113 is connected to an oscillating lever 114 which the operator can displace forwardly or backwardly as shown in FIG. 2 by the arrows 115 and 116 respectively.

When the unit is in the inoperative position the two emitter jacks A and B assume the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, that is to say, each plunger piston 4 is remote from its seat, formed by the joint 104 of the corresponding free piston 9. The oil can then circulate freely between each plunger piston 4 and the ring 104 disposed oppositely thereto.

The distributor D may be of any known standard type. As shown it comprises a slide valve indicated by the reference numeral 117 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9. The assembly shown in FIGS. 15 comprises a rod 118 attached to one of the ends of the slide valve 117 and round which a return spring 119 is mounted. This spring is compressed between a thrust washer 120 which is held by an enlarged head 121 of the rod 118 and collar 122 disposed around the rod 118 to bear on a shoulder 123 which ensures the connection with the slide valve 117. In the resting condition, the washer 120 abuts a boss 124 provided in the casing of the centering system E. However, the periphery of the collar is able to bear on a lixed shoulder 125 of the distributor body D. Under these conditions, it is apparent that the slide valve 117 can slide in either direction, causing each time the compression of the spring 119, the latter returning it automatically to the central inoperative position as soon as it is no longer actuated.

The receiver C is mounted on the opposite end of the distributor D. For this purpose the slide valve 117 is provided with a slide rod 126 which is connected to a center piston 127: the latter slides oiltight within a fixed cylinder 128 which it separates into two chambers 129 and 130. The chamber 129 is connected to the pipe 37: the pipe 39 communicates with the chamber 130.

Operation is as follows:

When the user swings the lever 114 forward, as shown in FIG. 3, in the direction of the arrow 115, the arm 110 of the cam 112 operates the pushbutton 107 of the emitter jack A, whilst the emitter jack B remains inoperative. Under these conditions the plunger piston 4 of the emitter jack A bears tightly on its seat on the corresponding free piston 9 which is pushed back against the force of the spring 18. Oil is then forced into the pipe 37 to reach the chamber 129 of the receiver C (FIG. The resultant pressure acts on the piston 127 and pushes back the distributor slide valve 117 in the direction of the arrow 131. This displacement forces the oil in the chamber 130 into the pipe 39 and this oil flows freely back into the tank K, passing between the plunger piston 4 of the emitter jack B and its seat, as shown in FIG. 4 by the arrows 132.

It will be seen that a remote control device is provided functioning as a closed circuit, in which two pipes only, 37 and 39, ensure the connection between the control casing K and the receiver casing L which may be several yards away.

FIGS. 68 shown another embodiment in which, for reasons of space, it is necessary to mount the tank K under pressure. For this purpose it is only necessary to remove the cover 133 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and to replace it by a sealed cover 134 provided with a deformable diaphragm 135 which defines a cushion 136 of compressed gas. The air intake 102 shown in FIG. 2 is omitted. Finally, an internally sealed tank K (FIGS. 6 and 7) is obtained, within which the variations in the volume of oil 100, resulting for example from temperature changes, are absorbed by deformations of the diaphragm 135 'and the gas cushion 136. Inflation thereof with nitrogen or an inert gas is effected from outside by way of a socket provided with a valve 137.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 68, it is also assumed that the control of the slide valve 117 of the distributor D is ensured by two receiver jacks C, and C mounted at each end opposed to each other. The jack C, receives oil fed through the emitterjack B by way of the pipe 39 and the receiver jack C is connected to the emitter jack A by the pipe 37. The receiving jacks C, and C are identical and therefore it is only necessary to describe one of them shown in FIG. 8. This jack comprises a hollow piston 138 formed by a cylindrical sleeve separated into two chambers 140 and 141 by a partition 139. The periphery of this piston slides oiltight within a fixed cylinder 142. The seal is ensured by a sliding O-ring 143. The chamber 140 surrounds the standard threaded end 144 of the slide valve 117 without it being necessary to ensure a rigid connection with the piston 138. The opposing chamber 141 contains a return spring 145 which bears against the end of the cylinder 142. This spring keeps the piston 138 applied against the end shoulder 123 of the slide valve 117.

Finally, the pipe 37 terminates at the end of the cylinder 142, that is to say, it is capable of feeding oil to the chamber 141. A bleed cock 146 is mounted in the cylinder 142.

Since the receiving jacks C, and C are connected oppositely to each other on the slide valve 117, it will be understood that they cause displacement of this slide valve in one direction or the other, depending on whether the push rod 107 of one or other of the emitterjacks A and B is depressed. For this purpose, it is only necessary to swing the lever 114 forward or backward.

To facilitate the controls, two pairs of emitter jacks A,, B, and A B are provided. The jacks A,, B, actuate, as above, one distributor (not shown) and the emitter jacks A and B operate another. Thus the control of two different movements may be obtained from only one lever 147 arranged in a manner which will be described hereinafter. The operator can then perform two different operations by one hand only, either simultaneously or independently of each other.

For this purpose, the cam 112 of the emitterjacks A,B, is keyed on the rocker shaft 148 provided with a control plate 149. The cam 112 which acts on the pushbuttons of the emitter jacks A B is keyed on a rocker shaft 150 provided with a control plate 149. The cam 112 which acts on the pushbutton of the emitter jacks A B is keyed on a rocker shaft 150 provided with a control plate 151. The two shafts 148 and 150 are independent of each other, but in alignment. The plates 149 and 151 are disposed in parallel and in each case comprise a square opening indicated by 152 in the first case and 153 in the second. A portion of square shaft 154 is also arranged to slide transversely and with very little play in the openings 152 and 153. The square rod 154 is connected to the lever 147, the swinging of which about the geometrical axis common to the axes 148 and 150 is guided by a transverse rod 155 engaged in two grooves 156 shaped like an arc of a circle formed in the wall of the casing.

Finally, the lever 147 passes through the casing M by way of a gate formed by a wall 157 in which an opening 158 is passed in the form of a double-H. This opening 158 comprises two center branches 159-160, two upper branches 161162 and two lower branches 163- 164..

The length of the square rod 154 is somewhat greater than the space between the plates 149 and 151, a feature which enables the rod 154 to be engaged at one and the same time in the two openings 152 and 153 when the lever 147 occupies the middle position corresponding to the branches 159 and of the gate.

Operation is as follows:

When the lever 147 occupies the position which has just been described and is shown in FIGS. 11 and 14, it will be seen that if it is swung up in the direction indicated in FIG. 10 by the arrow 164, the cams 112 and 112 are actuated simul taneously and operate the pushrods of the emitter jacks A, and A whilst the jacks B, and B remain at rest, (upper portion of FIG. 16). This corresponds to the engagement of the lever 147 in the branch 159 of the grid.

If the lever 147 is lowered, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 14, by the arrow 165, engaging it in the branch 160 of the gate the pushbuttons operate the emitter jacks B, and 3, Whilst the emitter jacks A,, A, remain inoperative (lower part of FIG. 16).

When the'operator which is to actuate only the emitter jacks A B he begins by sliding the lever 147 in the direction shown in FIG. 12 by the arrow 166 to bring it level with the branches 163 and 164 of the selector gate. in doing this, he engages the bar 154 further into the opening in the plate 151, whilst he completely removes it from the opening 152 in the plate 149. Under these conditions, by subsequently swinging the lever 147 in the direction of the arrow 164 the operator merely presses the pushrod of the emitter jack A (upper part of FlG. 15). If, on the contrary, he engages the lever 147 in the branch 162 of the gate, only the emitter jack B is actuated.

In a reverse operation, the operator may begin by raising the lever 147 in-the direction of the arrow 167 (FIG. 13). In this case, the square rod 154 remains in engagement with the plate 149, whilst it frees the opening 153 in the plate 151. It is thus possible to operate either on the emitterjack A (branch 163 of the gate, upper portion of part 17), or on the emitterjack B (branch 164 of the grid: lower portion of FIG. 17).

It should, however, be understood that the above description is given only by way of example and in no way limits the scope of the invention which would include the replacement of the details of construction described by any other obvious equivalents.

We claim:

1. In a remote hydraulic control device comprising at least two pair of emitter jacks; an oil-filled casing with each pair of emitter jacks mounted in a side by side relationship within said casing; a pushrod operatively connected to each jack in said casing; a cam means including cams keyed on rotatable shafts for exerting force on each pushrod; a control means operatively connected with said casing for actuating said emitter jacks including a reference plate for each cam and a rod engageable with each reference plate; guide means for controlling the actuation of said rod with one or more of said reference plates to permit the operation of one or more than one emitter jack at a single operation of said control means; and a hydraulic receiver means including hydraulic receiver units operatively connected with each emitter jack by fluid conduits to hydraulically control said hydraulic receiver means.

2. In a hydraulic control device as recited in claim 1 where said oil-filled casing is pressure sealed and includes a deformable diaphragm means including a compressed gas cushion.

3. In a hydraulic control device as recited in claim 1 further including a hand lever where said reference plates include a square opening and said rod is square-shaped, the hand lever connected to said square rod.

4. In a remote hydraulic control as recited in claim 1, each emitter jack comprises a free piston defining an axial perforation, a fixed cylinder in which said piston slides oil-tight, a spring urging said piston against a thrust collar of said cylinder, an annular seal around one end of the perforation of said piston, a plunger piston connected to one of said push rods and a return spring for said piston which is located so as to cooperate with said annular seal. 

1. In a remote hydraulic control device comprising at least two pair of emitter jacks; an oil-filled casing with each pair of emitter jacks mounted in a side by side relationship within said casing; a pushrod operatively connected to each jack in said casing; a cam means including cams keyed on rotatable shafts for exerting force on each pushrod; a control means operatively connected with sAid casing for actuating said emitter jacks including a reference plate for each cam and a rod engageable with each reference plate; guide means for controlling the actuation of said rod with one or more of said reference plates to permit the operation of one or more than one emitter jack at a single operation of said control means; and a hydraulic receiver means including hydraulic receiver units operatively connected with each emitter jack by fluid conduits to hydraulically control said hydraulic receiver means.
 2. In a hydraulic control device as recited in claim 1 where said oil-filled casing is pressure sealed and includes a deformable diaphragm means including a compressed gas cushion.
 3. In a hydraulic control device as recited in claim 1 further including a hand lever where said reference plates include a square opening and said rod is square-shaped, the hand lever connected to said square rod.
 4. In a remote hydraulic control as recited in claim 1, each emitter jack comprises a free piston defining an axial perforation, a fixed cylinder in which said piston slides oil-tight, a spring urging said piston against a thrust collar of said cylinder, an annular seal around one end of the perforation of said piston, a plunger piston connected to one of said push rods and a return spring for said piston which is located so as to cooperate with said annular seal. 